Workers' perceptions about worksite policies and environments and their association with leisure-time physical activity

Abstract

Purpose: To estimate the employed population's exposure to perceived worksite policies and environments hypothesized to promote physical activity and to determine their relationship to leisure-time physical activity.

Design: Cross-sectional, random-digit-dial telephone survey.

Setting: Community.

Subjects: Employed adults (n = 987) in six North Carolina counties.

Measures: Outcomes included any leisure-time physical activity, recommended physical activity, and work-break physical activity. Perceived worksite policies and environments included on-site fitness facility at work, safe place to walk outside work, paid time for activity, subsidized health-club membership, and flexible work schedule.

Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to describe the study population and exposure to perceived worksite policies and environments. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate relationships between perceived worksite policies and environments and physical activity, controlling for age, race, sex, educational status, disability, and general health status.

Results: Various supportive worksite policies and environments were reported by 15% to 56% of employed participants. Associations between perceived worksite policies and environments and physical activity were strongest for having paid time for non-work-related physical activity, an on-site fitness facility at work, and subsidies for health clubs. Recommended activity was not associated with perceived worksite policies and environments.

Conclusion: Worksite policies and environments are promising factors for future study in physical activity promotion. Studies should evaluate these relationships in other populations and explore measurement error in self-reported worksite policies and environments.